Owner's Manual: Flying Loose

training

In 2003, Deena Kastor flew to Lausanne to compete at the World Cross Country Championships, followed by the Flora London Marathon just three weeks later. When she arrived in Europe she was a bit sore and achy. Although she finished second in the 8K cross country race, shortly afterwards, she started to have Achilles pain.

Fortunately, Kastor’s husband, Andrew, a massage therapist and personal trainer, and her coach Terrence Mahon figured out that Kastor needed to stretch her psoas muscles in the hip flexor group. Once she stretched those muscles, which run from the lower back through the pelvis and stabilize the base of the spine, her Achilles pain let up and she went on to set an American record and place third at London.

“We were able to trace the pain back to the travel schedule and lack of stretching for her hip flexors,” says Mahon, Head Coach of Team Running USA. “Since then we make sure that everyone on our team tries to stretch, both while traveling and immediately when we get to the hotel.”

A long flight — especially in the tight quarters of coach class — can have debilitating effects on a runner’s body. A few key stretches and some expert insights, however, can allow you to hit the ground running.

Spine specialist Dr. André Panagos of New York-Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College, stresses the importance of being attentive to body position and minor aches while flying. Crossing time zones means your circadian rhythm — the 24-hour cycle of physiological processes your body goes through — is thrown off, so you aren’t as conscious of your body’s warning signs.

Mahon, a former 2:13 marathoner, says that the major problem with flying is being cramped in the frontal flexion position for hours. “Certain muscle groups get locked in short positions,” he says. “The most important ones to focus on are the hip flexors.”

When the hip flexors shorten, the pelvis gets stuck in an anterior rotation. This leads to pain in the low back and upper hamstrings. It can also cause the calf muscles and Achilles tendon to get overstretched. The neck can also get strained from being pushed forward because of the position of the hips and because many people read magazines or watch movies while flying. The shoulders follow suit and get internally rotated, which can cause pain in the upper back and neck muscles.

Both Mahon and Panagos advocate pressing your spine into the back of the chair. “Try to stick your butt into the angle of the seat and the seat back,” Panagos says. He also suggests using a blanket or pillow to provide lumbar support, taking pressure off the spine.

Shoulder rolls and neck stretches can be done in your seat, as can hamstring and IT band stretches, which will help to ease the strain in your lower back. When you are allowed, walk to the exit row or rear of the plane where there’s usually space to stretch. Take advantage of time spent waiting in line for restrooms. Damon Roxas, National Director of Training and Fitness for the Crunch Fitness gym chain, advises focusing on squats, knee raises and “anything that gets your blood flowing.”

If the aisle is clear, he suggests upping your airplane walk to a jog. His list of in-flight stretches: swing squats with reach, trapezius and levator scapulae stretches, shoulder rolls, downward dog and hamstring, calf, piriformis and glute stretches.

While you’re standing in the aisle, waiting to get off the plane, do calf raises to get your blood moving and warm up your muscles. In-flight stretching won’t guarantee you a place as a podium finisher, but it will keep you in your top form, ready to run.